The only London show for a while by Bartees Strange prompted my first visit over to St. Pancras Old Church last week. What a nice venue it is: full of spirits, one of the oldest Christian worship sites in England (possibly) provides an atmospheric setting for intimate gigs.
That's exactly what Strange delivered. Strong opening support came from another singer-songwriter/guitarist mariedominique whose supple, soulful set included the beautiful original compositions "Fire and Ice" and a haunting cover of Moses Sumney's "Doomed" - and whose 29th birthday it was, resulting in an impromptu serenade from the crowd ("I didn't know I needed that!").
Strange himself had just finished a European tour supporting Biffy Clyro; he seemed at the kind of total ease and command that come with months of solo performance in front of diverse audiences. "I like playing with a band, but I kind of remembered lately that playing by myself is really what I do," he told us. "It feels like we could be doing a Q&A in here."
Ipswich-born and mostly Oklahoma-raised, place is important in many of Strange's songs. He's an artist of many parts, his music combining folk and funk, country, blues and indie rock into a totally distinctive, seductive blend. Distilled to acoustic guitar and voice, the songs all felt full, Strange roving around the tunes with wonderful spontaneity and with a delivery that veered from gentle croon to full-throated rasp.
The set ranged over tracks from Strange's albums and EPs, up to last year's brilliant double of Horror (2025) and Shy Bairns Get Nowt (2025). Standout songs like "Sober," "17," "Baltimore," "Ain't Nobody Making Me High" and "Doomsday Buttercup" ("This is straight-up about having sex") gained in grit and grace. Strange also felt comfortable enough to debut two still-in-development pieces, "Gillette Blade No. 8" and "Running Back," the latter particularly beautiful.
"Heavy Heart," written after the deaths of his grandparents, was a poignant and healing closer. "What's a cure for heartbreak?" asked a voice from the pews. Strange paused for a moment before answering: "Making something new."
